Clasp type closure for envelopes



April 22, 1952 G. H. MATTHIESEN 2,594,050

' CLASP TYPE CLOSURE FOR ENVELOPES Z Z ZJ Filed Nov. 12, '1947 @zzw Patented Apr. 22 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE 2,594,050 CLASP TYPE CLOSURE ENYELQ'FES George H. Matthiescn. Chicago, 111, Application November 12, 1,9517, Serial Hp. 185,233

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to clasp type closures for envelopes and more particularly to improvements in the clasp type closures disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 752,309, filed June 4, 1947, now Patent No. 2,555,983. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application.

In the aforementioned application, the clasp type closure for envelopes includes a first blank, 2. second blank, a clasp carried by the second blank and extending through the first blank whereby the two blanks are secured together by the clasp, and adhesive coatings on the blanks for securing them to the envelope flap and the envelope body. In the use of the clasp type closure, the envelope is first stuffed and then the clasp type closure is adhesively secured to the flap and body of the envelope, thereby greatly facilitating the sealing of envelopes but yet permitting easy opening thereof. To facilitate opening and closing of the envelope, the first blank is preferably provided with a hole and, as illustrated in the aforementioned application, the clasp carried by the second blank extends through the hole. While such an arrangement is quite satisfactory, yet there is a tendency for the blanks to rotate with respect to each other about the clasp, thereby necessitating alignment of the blanks before application to the envelope.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved clasp type closure member for envelopes of the kind above specified wherein one of the blanks is eliminated to decrease costs, wherein a single adhesively coated blank is carried by the envelope closure flap by means of a clasp and adapted to be adhesively secured to the envelope body for closing the envelope, and wherein rotation of the blank with respect to the flap is effectively prevented, thereby obviating the necessity for aligning the blank with respect to the flap before closing the envelope.

In this respect the envelope has the usual body and a closure flap provided with a hole. The closure member includes a substantially rectangular blank having an adhesive coating on one side, and a metallic clasp having an enlarged head engaging the adhesive coated side of the blank and having a pair of spaced prongs extending through slits in the blank for nonrotatably carrying the blank. The prongs of the clasp also extend through slits in the closure flap closely adjacent the hole therein and are bent over against the outside of the closure flap for nonrotatably carrying the clasp and hence the blank with the exposed adhesive coated side of the blank posicontact the envelope body when the closure flap is closed. When the en lobe is stuffed, it is closed by,adhesive1yseu. in the b a k o h e ve ope bo y. the an ems Held in properpositionfor closure because it non" ta ab v a d b t e closu e fla the envelope s subs qu tly open d by man pul tion of th clasp, h fl material bieteen the use and the closely adjacent slitsis readily ruptured .5 t a an la h le s ovide f r n I: ing further closing and opening of the envelope.

Other e ts and adv n age wi b o'm lepparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanyi g specification, claim. and

2 ti ed to drawing in which Figure 1 illustrates an envelope in closed position with one form of the clasp type closure applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a vie similar to Fig. 1 but shows the envelope openedf Figure 3 is a per pective view illustrating the clasp type closure utilized rig 1 and 2;:

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 4-- of Fig. 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the envelope flap being opened.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawing, the envelope is designated at In and includes a body portion II and a closure flap 12. The flap I2 is provided with a hole I3 for receiving a clasp.

The clasp member associated with the envelope body and envelope flap includes a substantially rectangular blank I5 having an adhesive coating IS on one side. A metallic clasp I] having an enlarged head I8 and spaced prongs I9 is associated with the blank I5. The prongs I 9, as: illustrated in Fig. 3, extend through slits in the blank l5 as at 2|! with the enlarged head I8 located on the side of the blank having the adhesive coating [6.

The prongs I9 of the. clasp ll are inserted through the envelope flap l2 closely adjacent the hole I 3. The prongs IS in this respect extend through slits 22 in the envelope flap, and these slits may be formed by the actual insertion of the prongs I9 through the envelope flap or they may be preformed in the envelope flap for receiving the prongs [9.

In the formation of the clasp type closure, the blank I5 is located on the extended envelope flap l2, as indicated in Fig. 2, and then the prongs IQ of the clasp ll are inserted through the blank l5 and the envelope flap I? closely adjacent the hole l3. The prongs l9 are then bent over, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Thus, the blank 15 and clasp I! are non-rotatably secured to the envelope flap l2, rotation being prevented between the respective elements by reason of the prongs I9 extending through the slits 20 at 22 in the blank 15 and envelope flap I2, respectively. This relationship is illustrated in the sectional view of Fig. 4. Preferably, the envelopes are sold with theclasp type closure secured thereto in the aforementioned fashion.

To stuff and close the envelope is a simple process. In so doing, the envelope is stuffed to any desired extent, then the envelope flap is closed and the blank l5 adhesively secured to the envelope body H. The adhesive utilized may be of any convenient type such as glue, pressure sensitive adhesive, or the like. When the blank is adhesively secured to the envelope body, the envelope is sealed shut by the clasp, and the relationship between the parts in this condition is illustrated by Fig. 5.

In order to open the" envelope after stufling and sealing, all that is necessary is to raise the prongs [9 to release the envelope flap, whereby the same may be opened, and Fig. 6 illustrates the relationship between the parts during the envelope opening operation. During the opening operation, the envelope flap between the slits 22 and the hole l3 may be ruptured for the purpose of enlarging the hole [3 to facilitate subsequent opening and closing of the envelope.

Thus, there is provided an improved clasp type closure for envelopes which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which may be effectively utilized in an extremely simple manclosing envelopes which have been stuffed ner for to varying degrees. In fact, the stuffing and -closing procedure utilizing this arrangement is greatly simplified and takes considerably less time than when conventional clasp type closures are utilized. The adhesive coated blank I5 is at all times maintained in the correct position with respect to the closure flap I2.

While for purposes of illustration, one form of this invention has been disclosed, other forms thereof may become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to this disclosure, and, therefore, this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim and prior art.

I claim as my invention:

An envelope having a body and a closure flap provided with a hole, a substantially rectangular blank having an adhesive coating on one side, and a metallic clasp having an enlarged head engaging the adhesive coated side of the blank and having a pair of spaced prongs extending through slits in the blank for nonrotatably carrying the blank, said prongs also extending through slits in the closure flap closely adjacent the hole therein and bent over against the outside of the closure fiap for nonrotatably carrying the clasp and hence the blank with the exposed adhesive coated side of the blank positioned to contact the envelope body when the closure flap is closed.

GEORGE H. MATTHIESEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:-

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Aug. 7, 1919 

